


Demon Customs

by StarRoseColors



Category: LEGO Monkie Kid
Genre: Bad Flirting, Blood, Courtship, Demon Courtship, Don't kidnap your crush people, Kidnapping, M/M, Pining Red Son
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:34:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27710759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarRoseColors/pseuds/StarRoseColors
Summary: Red Son gets sick of pining and decides to do something about his feelings for MK.In proper demon fashion, of course.
Relationships: Qi Xiaotian | MK/Red Son
Comments: 49
Kudos: 158





	1. Chapter 1

It felt like a normal day.

MK and Pigsy did the usual morning kitchen set up, MK took orders while Pigsy cooked, and then he went to deliver the noodle orders. Nobody even batted an eye when DBK and Iron Fan unleashed their latest scheme and MK stopped them. The only odd part was that Red Son wasn’t there.

But MK brushed it off. Red Son had a history of doing his own schemes. Maybe to the patriarch and matriarch of the family, this was a date.

Now he was running for his life.

Well, not literally.

Sun Wukong was teaching him how to hide his magical signature from enemies. “It’s really strong,” his mentor said when the exercise started. “It’s...I’m not even sure how to describe it. But the point is that you need to learn how to hide it and, if you’re hiding or trying a sneak attack, make your enemies unable to see it.” After the explanation, MK had tried it. And then Wukong had sent him running in a game of hide and seek.

MK slowed, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, slowing his frantic heartbeat down. He came to a stop. He was pretty deep in the jungle, in an area he was pretty sure he hadn’t explored fully. He started walking again until he entered a clearing. He plopped himself down on a rock, humming at the warm feel of the sun on his face. This would do for a hiding spot until Wukong came too close.

It was nice. Peaceful.

Until a familiar “Hello Noodle Boy.” broke through his thoughts.

MK frowned, not bothering to open his eyes. “Go away, Red Son,” he said. “I’m busy and your parents already unleashed their scheme for today.” There was a moment of silence and he had almost convinced himself that the fire demon had left when he spoke again.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve made a mistake. I’m not here for any scheme!” It sounded like Red had gotten a lot closer. MK opened his eyes to yelp. He was right behind him, looking like they were two friends having a pleasant conversation. He tensed, fully prepared to pull out the staff, except the demon hadn’t made a move to attack. That was further complicated by Red slinging an arm over his shoulder. “I’m just here to give you some friendly advice!”

“Uh….huh. Does it include ‘give me the staff so I can give it to my father’?”

“No.” Red looked even more amused at the question. “I mean, yes, that would be helpful, but I swear! All I want is to give you some advice.”

MK relaxed a little. “Okay…?” This was turning into one of the weirdest experiences of his life.

There was a pleased hum and Red’s hand moved from his shoulder and down his arm. “Now, as I am very sure, people have told you that you’re attractive.” MK felt warmth flood his face because no. People hadn’t told him that before. He settled on shaking his head. “No? Shocker.” Fingers stroked his wrist. “Here’s my advice. Don’t leave yourself all defenseless like this.”

“I’m not-”

Cold metal, around his wrist, and Red Son had wrapped an arm around his waist, grasping his other wrist firmly. MK raised a brow. “Well, sure, maybe not right now. But here’s the thing. There are plenty of creatures in the world that like pretty little things like yourself. And they would take you without a moment’s notice. Them’s the breaks.”

He shifted, trying to loosen Red’s grip. It didn’t work. “Thanks for the warning,” MK said slowly, releasing the hold he had built over his magical signature. Alarm bells were ringing in his skull. “But- what are you doing?”

There was a chuckle and then a kiss was pressed to his neck. Against his skin, Red whispered one thing.

“Demons are included.”

MK screamed but it was too late. Red Son had a tight grip on him and they were disappearing into flame and smoke. He barely had a moment to see Wukong run into the clearing, eyes wide. 

Then the world had disappeared into red. He wasn’t sure what was up or down. All he was certain of was Red Son, his grip tight on him.

Out of all the things he’d expected from Red Son when he woke up this morning, this was way out of the left field.

Finally, the flames and smoke disappeared and MK fell on his butt. He scrambled back, both scared out of his mind and horribly confused. When he looked up, Red Son stood there, looking like a cat who had gotten the canary. He looked away, not liking that smug smirk, and instead tried to figure out where they were.

They were in a pine forest. In between the leaves, he could see craggy mountains, but no sign of the city. His heart sank as he realized that nothing looked familiar. “Wha- Hey!” Red had scooped him up into a bridal carry and started walking. “You take me back right now!” MK yelled, squirming furiously.

There was a chuckle. “Nope. No way, Noodle Boy.”

MK gave up after a minute with a groan. “Why are you even doing this…”

“Because I like you!” The worst part of this was that Red was downright cheerful about it. “Was that not clear? I thought I made that clear.”

“That doesn’t have to involve kidnapping and dragging me to...wherever!”

Except the older was happy to explain why that wasn’t true. “I mean, it’s not an exact law, but it’s pretty common! And according to actual demon law, blah blah blah, some custom and shit like that...you’re mine.” MK felt the blood drain out of his face. Then anger rose up.

“No, I’m…” When MK had started working for Pigsy, the cook had taught him self defense. It was important, in his words, to defend yourself in a hairy situation. That was what he did right now- sending a balled-up fist right into Red’s face. “NOT!” There was a crack of bone and he was dropped as Red gripped his face. MK didn’t waste any time. With Red’s howl of pain at his heels, the delivery boy took off running.

MK wasn’t sure what direction he was running in. All he knew was that he was running away from Red, which was the best choice of action. He moved to pull out the staff and try to see where he was when something slammed him into a tree. MK yelped at the sight.

Red was clearly furious, hair aflame and eyes literal balls of flames. Dark blood was running from his broken nose. MK felt a burst of pride before a growl escaped the enraged demon. Without a word, the young man was hauled off his feet and over the demon’s shoulder like a sack. Red then started marching in the direction they had been heading in.

“Let me go!” he yelled, unable to do anything else from his position. Much to his horror, tears were starting to roll down his cheeks. “Let me go home!”

Red made some type of gesture, not bothering to pause in his enraged march. MK continued to struggle, but he had started to feel exhausted. It became harder and harder until with one last exhale of “...go…” MK was out like a light.

The redhead demon stopped when the delivery boy was asleep. Despite the anger at his broken nose, Red couldn’t help the fond smile that formed at his love’s peaceful face.

He continued his trek.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand, Chapter 2!

Her son had been missing for a week. 

Princess Iron Fan wasn’t worried about this. She was a bit concerned, considering the last time he had been living alone he ended up press-ganged as Guanyin’s disciple. But she wasn’t worried.

All demons had to leave their parents at some point. Red Son had returned since neither of them trusted her alone without her beloved. But she was also glad that he was gone- she hadn’t damaged his independence too much.

She was explaining this to her husband.

“As long as he doesn’t do anything that requires divine assistance on his own, our baby will be fine,” she said calmly, gripping her husband’s hand as they strolled down the hallway together. “And at this point, he’s too smart to do something like that-”

That was when the lair shook, following by a roar of “RED SON!” Even though centuries had passed, Iron Fan could recognize an enraged Sun Wukong. She sighed.

Maybe not then.

* * *

The guards were playing cards again.

Red Son would’ve been enraged by this, except MK was passed out peacefully in his arms. Getting angry would only wake him up and he really didn’t want to deal with another chase. The guards immediately scrambled to their feet when he approached. “My lord!” one said, saluting.

“At ease,” he said. Without another word, he marched into the familiar cave of Fiery Mountains. Thankfully, he didn’t pass any other useless servants on his stroll through the halls. Finally, he reached the door of what he had deemed MK’s bedroom when he had set this plan into motion.

It was one of the prettiest bedrooms in the complex, decorated in tasteful shades of red and carefully placed lanterns illuminating the space. It was also right next to the master bedroom, where Red Son slept. After some careful maneuvering in order to untuck the sheets and place MK in, Red pulled off his sneakers and carelessly threw them over his shoulder. He wanted to dress his love in some of the pretty pajamas he had gotten him, but that would ruin later plans. He settled on burning the outfit later.

Except for the headband and staff.

The headband he pulled off and carefully folded. The staff he used magic to carefully lift off the other’s belt. Red set both of them on the desk and returned to the bedside to tuck in MK, smiling at the sight of soft dark curls spilling over MK’s peaceful face. He wanted to stay and wait until MK woke up, but there were other things that needed his attention. Hopefully, Red would get back in time.

* * *

MK woke up in a confused start.

He looked around wildly, his brain trying to piece together everything. Finally, it came together and he let out a mild scream. He had been kidnapped! By Red Son who was following demon custom. MK tripped out of...a bed? He finally took in his surroundings.

He was in a bedroom that looked more suited to Mei’s manor. It was decorated in reds, with lanterns providing light, yet it felt so empty. It felt like a hotel room, sparse of any personal detail, except for his headband and staff, which sat on a desk. He grabbed the staff and hooked it to his belt and tied back his hair. Once that was done, MK looked for an escape route.

Conveniently, there were open windows.

He scrambled for them, grinning at the easy escape. That was promptly stopped when MK took in the scenery: mountains and pine trees. And no sign of anything familiar. He considered his options.

It was better to wait. Just until he knew how far he had been taken.

MK walked back to the bed, tired again. A gleam of something red caught his eye. Oh, right. Red Son had placed something on his wrist. He looked down, freezing at the sight of a bracelet.

It was gold, decorated with flames carefully carved into the metal. The centerpiece was a small red ruby, the same color as his headband. It was probably very expensive. It was also the prettiest piece of jewelry MK had ever seen. He couldn’t help but admire it.

“Do you like it?”

MK nearly jumped out of his skin, pulling out the staff and aiming it at Red Son. The redhead demon barely gave it a glance, too busy staring at him. “I mean, it’s not the greatest thing I’ve ever made, but it’s the first for you. So do you like it?”

“It’s...nice.” he settled on saying. Who knew what Red would do if he said he didn’t want anything from him? “Where are we?”

“Home.”

“That doesn’t tell me anything.”

Red shrugged. “Of course not. I don’t trust you to not leave yet.” He glanced at the staff, finally seeming to acknowledge it. “Do you mind?” MK raised a brow as he slowly followed the command. That prompted a “What?”

“You’re being nice.”

A brow raised. “Of course I’m being nice. I’m courting you.” He didn’t seem to notice the look of shock that formed at that declaration, instead frowning at MK’s outfit. “You should probably go get cleaned up before dinner.”

There was a huff. “Who says I’m having dinner with you.”

“Well, unless you wanna starve…”

MK paled at the threat. He’d had enough of starvation in the past and the threat was enough to make him hurry to the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it. Once alone, he let out a huff of relief. Red had...he didn’t know the word, but the look in his eyes could be described as  _ hungry _ . A knock on the door startled him.

“Leave your clothes outside. I’ll have something nicer for you to wear.” Red Son called through the door. “Or else.” For a moment, he sounded like the same demon MK had been fighting for a year. He stood there, frozen, listening as footsteps walked away and the bedroom door closed.

MK shivered, suddenly very afraid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can also find me at starrosefics on Tumblr!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wukong explains some customs and dinner goes off on a rocky start.

Thankfully, wherever he was had been updated to have running water.

MK spent his hot bath between being angry and being scared. But he focused on cleaning up. His mad dash through the woods had covered him in a sheen of sweat and dirt. Bruises were already purpling where Red Son had slammed him into the tree.

He dried off with a fluffy red towel, watching the door as if Red was about to knock it down. MK mentally slapped himself and opened the door.

The bedroom was empty. But the little pile of his clothes had disappeared, the bed had been made, and a stack of clothes sat on the bed. MK sighed in miniscule relief at being alone.

Despite what he knew about Red Son and his arrogant ass, the clothes that had been left weren't that fancy. Fine black slacks paired with black boots and a red cable-knit sweater is what he found. And he couldn't even be upset about being uncomfortable- everything was sized perfectly. The overall effect in the mirror was...cute.

He looked cute.

MK gave a huff at the growing confusion at this situation. Unable to do anything else, he hooked the staff back and retied his hair. He marched over to the bedroom door and opened it with a bang, startling a maid.

They stared at each other.

"Where's...the dining room?"

She pointed. "Down the hall and to your right, young master." Before he could correct her on his title, she was walking away. MK sighed and marched in the direction he had been pointed.

As he walked, he made mental notes of everything. Wherever he was, it was made out of stone entirely. Hall braziers were the main source of light. If he concentrated, he could hear dripping water further down. From what he could guess, he was in some type of cave.

Before he could make a guess to where he was, he was already at a pair of doors. He took a deep breath in and let a deep breath out.

Time for dinner, he guessed.

* * *

The door to the noodle shop slammed open, allowing a seething Wukong to enter. Everyone looked up as he plopped himself down. (Everyone except Pigsy, who was stress cooking in the kitchen. It was better than allowing him and Wukong to stay in the same room.)

"Any luck?" Mei asked, still dressed in her motorcycle outfit. She was the first one to go looking for MK when Wukong had shown up, claiming Red Son had taken MK under his nose. Her heart sank when he shook his head.

"Apparently, Red's been missing for a week and Iron Fan trusts him enough to not check where he is." His fur puffed up, revealing that there was more. Mei stared at him. Wukong stared back.

"And?" Pigsy asked, slamming out of the kitchen with a tray of bowls. The immortal winced. He noticed, slamming the tray down to poke Wukong in the chest. "You're hiding something, oh grand immortal Monkey King. Out with it."

He sighed. "She did think Red Son is...courting MK."

There was silence.

"Excuse me?"

"It's demon custom when courting a human." Wukong said, smoothing his fur down. "It's mostly based on common sense and shit like that but when a demon falls in love with a human, they kidnap them and everyone else leaves them alone until they…" He made a gesture, conveying what he was uncomfortable saying.

Pigsy was turning a worrying shade of red. The three others shared a look of agreement. Sandy immediately moved to hover next to Pigsy. Mei took over with "And you have no idea where he could've taken him?"

"No. He's hidden his and MK's magical signature."

"Any places he likes?"

"Kid, I only met Red once and that included him getting an assful of swords." That was the wrong thing to say, guessing by the bowl full of steaming hot noodles chucked at his head.

* * *

Red Son had changed as well.

It was ridiculous that was the first thing MK noticed, but he couldn't help it. The fine blood red coat and black button up was a sharp contrast to the usual tattered scarlet jacket. What made MK stop was a pin Red wore- a ruby set in gold that matched the bracelet around his wrist.

The demon's eyes widened when they saw him, overtaken by a smirk. "Don't you look nice?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." MK drew his eyes away and plopped himself down across from Red, crossing his arms. The demon chuckled, waving his hand. In a lazy show of power, a wine bottle levitated to pour wine into his glass. Once his glass was full, Red made a gesture and the bottle settled.

"You're upset."

"YOU KIDNAPPED ME!"

Red shrugged. "Fair."

That didn't ease anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those curious, in the Journey to the West, Red Son was stopped by Guanyin, who had transformed several swords into looking like her lotus platform. In an act of mockery, he sat on the lotus platform and she transformed the swords into their original state.
> 
> The worst part is that he's a little kid when this happens.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner goes badly.

The food was good.

MK couldn’t help but be annoyed by that fact. The table had been filled with dishes of food, allowing the two of them to pick and choose. And, to his even greater annoyance, about half of the foods were his favorites. That was nothing compared to Red Son.

The differences between them were stark. While MK tried his best not to shovel food into his mouth, slouching slightly with a frown, Red’s posture was perfect. He barely ate, too busy staring at him longingly to take more than tiny bites and sips. The silence between them was increasingly awkward until MK finally snapped “What?”

The other startled, eyes going wide. “What?”

“You keep staring at me.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Red’s eyes dropped to his plate. MK gaped at the bashful tone he had spoken in before the redhead cleared his throat. “How is your room? I meant to ask that. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”

“You could take me _home_.”

Red frowned. “You are home.”

“No, my home is my apartment. Where my family is.” Apparently, calling his apartment _home_ seemed to be a delicate subject. MK yelped when Red’s hands slammed down on the table, the demon rising as his eyes and hair flamed in fury.

“Your ‘home’ was nothing but a pathetic tiny space above a stinking noodle shop where the owner constantly hung the threat of taking it away over your head!” The insult to Pigsy was a harsh blow. (MK never told anyone about the conversation he had heard once between Pigsy and Tang- the threat was an empty one. Pigsy was too afraid of MK dying alone on the streets to ever do that.) “You are a mortal caught up in a fight that was never yours!”

That was an even worse blow. MK slammed his hands on the table as well, mirroring Red’s pose. “You made it my fight when you tried to take over the city! When you tried to hurt my family! When you blew up my apartment!”

“WELL, I SHOULD’VE DONE IT BETTER!”

Later, MK would be confused about which part he was talking about. But, right now, that was the last straw. MK’s hand formed a fist and it snapped out, hitting Red right in the nose. Just like before, there was the snap of bone and he fell back. The young man stormed out of the room, ignoring the shriek of rage that came from the dining room.

He stormed through the hall, ignoring the staff he walked past. MK slammed the door to the room behind him. Unsure of what else to do, he looked around for something to vent on. The mirror he had examined himself in before dinner caught his eye. He walked to it, staring his reflection right in the eye.

Then he slammed his fist into it.

The shatter of glass sounded good. So MK hit it again. And again and again until his knuckles were sore and bleeding and the mirror was nothing but shards. As if the mirror held it, his fury was suddenly gone. MK knelt there, sobbing into his knees and just wanting to go _home_. 

When the worst of his sobs were over and done with and all that was left was sniffling, MK carefully picked himself off the floor. He scooped up the biggest pieces of glass and threw them away. Once that was done, he found the closet and changed out of his sweater and slacks into red silk pajamas, depositing the staff and his headband and the bracelet on the dresser. He collapsed into bed, unsure of what else to do.

As the lanterns dimmed, MK sobbed himself to sleep.

* * *

In his room, Red Son furiously paced.

When he had realized MK had left and he had upset him, _again_ , Red had given into his fury and marched back to his room. The master bedroom, cleaned up and modernized, was now in pieces. He would clean it up later, but right now he needed to vent. He finally collapsed at his vanity, face thudding as sadness took over.

“I messed up…” he admitted to the wood.

He really had a tendency to drive away the people who’s opinion really mattered to him. His parents were the only ones left, but that didn’t change the facts. Red finally pulled his face away, standing up with a groan.

He changed out of his finery into his old clothes, smoothing down his shirt. A steward was waiting outside. “I’m leaving. I should be back in an hour.” Red said calmly as he strolled past. He needed to check in on his parents and see what he had to do in order to keep Sun Wukong away from the boy safely ensconced in his room. It wouldn’t hurt as well to see if there was anything he could bring back from MK’s ‘apartment’ to make the complex feel a little more like home. He paused next to MK’s door, weighing his options, giving into opening it.

The mirror was broken. The lanterns were dim. The bed had a distinct MK-shaped lump. Red stepped inside and carefully stepped to the bedside. He resisted the urge to tsk at the sight of the blood on MK’s hands. Instead, he headed to the bathroom and found the first aid kit.

Carefully, to avoid waking up MK, Red bandaged his darling’s knuckles. He pressed a kiss to his brow and carefully walked out, closing the door quietly behind him.

Muscle memory guided him through the hallways until Red Son had reached the entryway. It was faintly raining, shrouding the mountains and pine woods in mist. He had forgotten how much he liked this place. Red took a deep breath in, smiling at the scenery.

He disappeared into flame and ash, speeding through the night until he had reached the gleam of the city built on the base of Flowerfruit Mountain. He reformed on the roof of Pigsy’s Noodles, taking a deep breath. Long distances always wore him out when traveling like that. He let the breath out and headed down the stairs until he had reached the window of MK’s room.

Red was so focused on opening the window he didn’t realize someone was behind him until a fist hit the glass, an inch from his face. The redhead yelped, moving out of the way to dodge the sword. When he looked up it was to meet the furious gazes of both Sun Wukong and Dragon Horse Girl.

“WHERE IS HE?!” Mei demanded, swiping at him from her position on Wukong’s back. The monkey himself didn’t say a word, glaring at Red Son.

“YOU CAN’T HAVE HIM!” He yelled back, throwing fire their way. He knew he could fight the Dragon, but he certainly wasn’t prepared for the Monkey King himself. Red scrambled away as Wukong moved to shield Mei, hopping onto the roof.

He didn’t bother to stick around after that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MK entertains himself and Wukong plans.

MK woke up in a startle. "I'm late for work!" He shouted, scrambling out of bed. The feel of silk instead of the cotton pajamas he usually wore startled him out of his panic. He froze, looking around.

He was...still a prisoner.

He wiped at his eyes, intent on not breaking down again, only to pause at the feeling of bandages against his face. He lowered his hand. When he had gone to sleep, his knuckles had been a bloody mess. Now they were bandaged up.

Three guesses on who did that.

MK groaned. While it was nice that his hands no longer hurt, it meant that Red Son could come in whenever he wanted. He made a mental note to try and barricade the door next time.

Right on cue, the door opened. A maid entered with a tray. "Breakfast, master." She said, placing the tray on his bedside table. Before he could correct her, she had already left. MK sighed, grabbing the tray.

A cup of tea sat next to a covered plate. MK took a sip of the tea. The taste of jasmine, his favorite, met him. He almost started crying again at the memory of sipping tea with Sandy. Instead, he steeled himself, remembering the promise of no more tears.

Breakfast was steamed bean paste buns with tofu pudding and wheat noodles. The minute the first bite hit his taste buds, MK realized how hungry he was and dug in. Like what little he had eaten at dinner, it was  _ delicious _ . As he ate and tried to place himself, he wondered why he hadn't been forced to eat with Red Son.

He put the tray aside when he was finished and headed to what he assumed was the closet. He had to take a moment to stare at the walk-in closet. He shook off his shock and looked for his jacket, hoping that it had been placed in here. No dice.

What he did find was finery, unlike anything he had seen. He couldn't help his urge to reach out and run his fingers across the clothes. Finally, he settled on putting on the plainest clothes he could find: a white shirt with gold cuffs and red slacks, pulling a fine orange jacket over it.

He considered his reflection in the mirror he had found as he tied his hair back. MK could almost say he looked rather nice. Now, for the next part.

MK stuck his head out the door. Nobody was in the hall. He slipped out of his room and hurried down the hall. While he couldn’t leave until he had figured out how far away the city was, it didn’t hurt to map out his surroundings.

So he explored.

* * *

“So, where are we going?” Mei asked.

The two flew on a cloud, Mei piggybacking on Wukong’s back. The two of them had combed every corner of the city after Red Son had flamed them and disappeared. There had been no sign of him and he hadn't left a clue behind.

"We're going to get help. I know someone who's better at tracking then me." Wukong winced. "Unfortunately, he hates my guts."

"How many people hate your guts?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I...lost track around a hundred. But he hates everyone for some reason or another."

She groaned. "So how are we gonna convince him to help us?"

"Simple. We're going to someone, last I checked, who he didn't completely hate."

Without another word, they continued flying.

* * *

From what MK had discovered, the place he had been taken to was huge. 

There were multiple rooms, all decorated in a way that didn't make it feel so big. He found what looked like a throne room, two thrones set up on a dias. (He tried his best to ignore the clearly newer throne.) Paintings decorated the hallways. Most depicted the Bull Demon King and Princess Iron Fan in various victories. Others were of demons he didn't recognize, also winning battles. MK turned his eyes away from one particularly violent scene and set on counting his footsteps between doors.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...12.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...15 to the next door.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5...20 to the library.

1…

Library?

MK took a step back, poking his head through the door.

It was a library. It was massive, shelves of books stretching out as far as he could see. MK entered, eyes widening as he took in every detail. Ancient bamboo scrolls sat next to more modern hardcovers. The sheer number would make any scholar faint. He had always loved the library since he was a kid, and still did. It was immensely tempting.

He glanced out into the hallway.

There was nobody around to tell him no…

MK grabbed the first book that looked interesting- a leather bound book titled The Theory of Immortality- and looked for a spot for read. Much to his luck, he found an area that seemed to be meant for reading. Two armchairs and a couch were arranged around a roaring fire in a fireplace. It was ridiculously classy and, as he found as he stretched out in one of the armchairs, comfortable.

MK flipped open the book and started to read.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wukong and Mei run into a thief.

Mei smoothly rolled when she hit the ground. She got to her feet and as she brushed dirt off her pants, looked around. Jungle surrounded her and if she looked ever so slightly...”INCOMING!”

Wukong landed feet first, shaking the ground in his trademark entrance. Neither of them noticed the startled grey-furred langurs or the pair of eyes now watching them. He was too busy brushing off imaginary dust. “Right.” he said when he was finished. “Let’s go.”

Mei followed him, looking around. “Where are we?” she finally said.

“We’re in India, a few hours’ travel from the border.” Wukong answered casually. He pointed in a random direction. “Thunderclap Monastery is in that direction. The guy we’re gonna see-”

“The one who isn’t hated by this other guy.”

“-Lives in that direction.”

They continued walking in what felt like a random direction. A vague feeling started to form in-between Mei’s shoulder blades. “Monkey King?” she whispered when she couldn’t take it anymore. “Someone’s watching us.” He nodded silently.

“Is it...”

“I don’t think so. It feels like him but also not.”

In the trees, the pair of eyes hopped from branch to branch, watching them. A baby langur hopped up on the figure’s shoulder. They silently gave the monkey a pat on the head before hopping to the next tree. Their foot slipped, breaking the branch with a massive CRACK.

The two yelped, whirling around. For good measure, Mei pulled out the sword. “Hello?” she called out. There was rustling, coming from the underbrush around them. The two followed it...

Until the baby langur hopped out.

The two relaxed with a sigh. “Aw, you scared us.” Mei cooed, holding out her hand. The baby sniffed it and, deeming her worthy, grabbed it and climbed up her arm. “Aw, aren’t you cute?” She giggled when it finally came to sit on her head.

The older member of the party scoffed. “Yeah, yeah, don’t scare us like that.” Wukong poked the baby in its stomach in emphasis. “Anyway...” He turned back to where they were going, only to jump back with a startled yelp at the sudden appearance of a girl. Mei poked her head around to see.

She looked only to be one or two years younger then Mei, dark hair tied back with a grey scarf and dressed in hiking clothes. She drew back, clearly startled herself, at Wukong’s yelp. The baby let out some version of a squeal and hopped off Mei’s head to scramble onto the girl’s shoulder. That seemed to break the ice.

“Hi, I’m Mei!” Mei said brightly. “I like your monkey!”

The girl visibly relaxed, a small smile forming. She signed back “Thank you. He is not mine. Avik just likes to hang around me. My name is Chandini.”

Mei grinned brightly, signing back. “Nice to meet you, Chandini!”

Wukong was about to say something when sunlight, glistening off something on Chandini’s belt, caught his eye. She shifted her position, revealing a small silver stick. It had been centuries since he’d seen it and it was currently small, but he recognized the weapon.

“Hey, kid...” He curled his lips, revealing teeth in a threatening grin. “Mind telling me where you got that staff?”

Chandini went stiff again. Panic entered her eyes. Slowly, carefully, never looking away from Wukong, she unhooked the staff. She took a step back. Then another. Then she turned and bolted.

“Wha- HEY!”

Wukong took off in hot pursuit. Mei gaped but quickly followed.

Chandini, clearly knowing the jungle better, kept a good pace away but was clearly trying to avoid jostling the monkey on her shoulder. But then Avik grabbed a tree branch and pulled himself off. She sped up, immediately starting to zig-zag and jumping on and over obstacles. Mei aimed frantic questions at Wukong, which he ignored. They broke through the brush, revealing that the girl was heading straight for a massive gorge.

Wukong slowed, stopping Mei in her tracks. Chandini didn’t stop. The older girl frantically asked, “WHAT IS SHE- What?” From a distance, she could see the staff grow. It was just like when MK had used it during their fight over the key...

She buried the end at the edge of the gorge and she went up and _across_. 

Everything seemed to slow as Chandini practically flew over the gorge. She hit the other side and rolled. Even from their distance, they could see her end up on her butt and spit up grass before getting, shakily, to her feet and start running again. Wukong snapped his fingers. A cloud flew down and he knelt. “Come on. I know where she’s heading.”

Mei hopped onto his back and the two took off. From their position, they could see the girl running. She was making good time and heading straight for what looked like the ruins of a temple. By the time they landed, she was halfway up the wall. By the time they reached the foot of the wall, Chandini had ducked through a window.

Wukong led Mei to a doorway. Inside were hundreds of langurs, doing their own thing, and nature slowly reclaiming the temple. Over the remains of the roof, a new roof had been made by what looked like a tapestry of leaves, woven together. On what must’ve been the second floor, voices were drifting down.

“What did you find, precious...?”

Two faces were poking over the edge of the floor, staring straight at them. One of them was Chandini. The other was a grey-furred monkey. “Wukong.” the monkey said evenly.

“Langur!” Wukong said brightly. He clapped his hands together, glancing between the two. “You’ve taken a student!”

“Yes, I have. What are you doing here?”

Wukong’s pride seemed to vanish. He sighed, clearly miserable. “I...I need your help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Chandini is based off a rant I wrote over at @starrosefics:  
> 'Will the other two monkeys (the fire monkey of the turtle beak and the water ape of the three stars) show up in Monkie Kid? Are they important?
> 
> Will the other three monkeys, including Macaque, have to appoint successors of their own? (I use staffs since both Wukong and Macaque use one, although that just might be the whole ‘Macaque is a reflection to Wukong’ thing.) Will that be a plot point, the fact that these other three either give up or are forced to give up their staff to a human successor? The possibilities are endless here.'


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red gets embarrassed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fanart!: https://mikeyinsidethemountain.tumblr.com/post/636685038630633472/monkie-kid-oc-spicynoddleshipping-and-au-doodle

Red Son was in a mood.

He reformed inside the throne room of the complex, smoke blowing out of his ears. It had taken all night to shake off both of his pursuers until he was safe to come back. The only goal he had managed to accomplish was learning the fact that Sun Wukong knew Red had taken MK, but not where. He took a deep breath in, and then let it out.

This was fine.

His parents would be fine. Even if his father was nowhere close to his old power, his mother was still the same strong demon she always had been. She’d tricked the Monkey King once. No doubt she could do it again. All he had to do was keep MK safe.

Speak of the devil, actually.

Red walked out of the throne room, heading straight for MK’s room. Despite knowing that there was no way he could’ve escaped, he still wanted to check on him. The door opened easily.

And...no MK.

For a moment, there was nothing but sheer panic. Red forced his fire down before he could flame up, trying his best to stay calm. He stalked away from the empty bedroom. He needed to summon his guards and figure out how far MK had gotten away from the complex. He walked past the library...and then Red walked right back.

There was faint mumbling inside.

“MK?” Red called, entering the space. He hadn’t been in here for a while. When he had been ordered to stay and guard the Fiery Mountains by his father, his mother had done her best to fill up this room with books. Both for a student and a child. His hair flamed at the thought of MK finding any of his old baby pictures and he sped up.

He turned a corner and found one of the various reading spaces that he had made. A fire was roaring, illuminating MK curled up in an armchair and reading. It also illuminated the fact that the armchair and the other furniture was covered in Post-It notes, there was a stack of books on the coffee table, and MK was scrawling a new note. “MK?” Red said, stepping a little closer.

“Ah!” MK snapped out of his study, jolting in surprise. The demon held his hands up in a gesture of peace. “Red Son! Where were you?”

“Uh...running errands. What are you doing?”

MK looked around, seeming to search for an answer. “Studying? What are you doing?”

“I was looking for you,” Red said, carefully trying to avoid the notes as he stepped closer. “What, exactly, are you doing?” In lieu of an answer, his beloved held up the leatherbound book he was reading.  _ Power Control for Dummies _ was the title and Red felt his heart sink.

“I was seeing if any of these books had stuff that could help me with...Monkie Kid stuff.” MK said, nodding to the notes. “A lot of them have some really good stuff.” He flipped a page and the dreaded doodle fell out. “Wait. What’s...”

“Wait-!”

But he was already picking up the remainder of a ten-year-old’s fury. MK burst into laughter at the doodle. “Did you draw this?!” he said, flipping it around. On the yellowed paper was an ink drawing of a stick figure Red with his mother and his teacher. Behind them, his father was lying dead with X-ed out eyes. It was incredibly messy and did not fit with how he felt about his father.

“That’s...old.” he said, resisting the urge to set it on fire. The only reason he didn’t was due to the fact that this was the first time something of his had clearly made MK happy. Even if that something made him want to hide in a deep hole. “I drew that when I was ten, so it doesn’t...please stop laughing it’s really not that funny.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” MK said, folding up the doodle and sticking it back in the book. “I used to do the same thing all the time, except it was about my big sister.” Before Red could ask about that topic, he was flipping the page. “Huh,” he said to whatever had caught his eye. “That’s interesting.”

Red seized his chance.

“I could help you?”

MK looked up from scrawling a new note. “What?”

“I could help you with that,” he said, nodding to the book. “Mother meant all of these books for me and I’ve read them all. I can try and help you.” Right now, this was better than what had happened yesterday.

The other considered this and Red tried to not let his hope show.

Until MK closed the book. “Okay.”

“Really!?”

“Sure.” MK hopped off the couch. “Lead the way.”

Red grinned, doing as commanded.

Way better than what happened yesterday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am starrosefics over on Tumblr! Come say hi!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The process of getting help isn't going smoothly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very much planning to make a character intro sheet for Langur and Chandini, as well as the fourth immortal monkey and his successor, and Macaque's successor Ju.

“So...you have a kid.”

Langur nodded. “For six years now.”

The two monkeys sat in what used to be the courtyard of the temple, sipping tea. The kids, including Chandini and Mei, had been banished to wait outside while the two monkeys talked. “So, when was I gonna be told you had a successor?” Wukong tried to sound joking, but it was tinged with bitterness.

“Don’t give me that attitude. You were the one to decide to up and disappear for three hundred years.” Langur winced at his words, putting aside his cup to instead calmly fold his hands together. “In any case, what exactly do you want?”

“I need Macaque’s help.”

Langur blinked before groaning. “Of course...how many times have I told you to not drag me into that mess you call a relationship?”

Wukong let out a groan of his own, leaning towards the eldest of the four immortal monkeys. “We’re not together anymore and he’s the only one I could think of. My k- successor, MK, he’s been kidnapped.” The silver-furred monkey raised a brow. “In a demon courtship way. I’ve tried talking to this demon’s parents, but I need more help than the mom wishing they have pretty babies.”

Well, actually, what Iron Fan had said was much worse.

“And you think Macaque won’t say something worse?”

“He was able to find MK even with me hiding his magical signature. That’s one of his talents. And last I checked, you’re the only one of us who he’s not completely pissed at.”

Outside the courtyard, the two girls were roaming around the empty halls of the ruins, killing time until the monkeys were done. Mei started signing first. “So, you’re Langur’s successor?”

Chandini nodded. “He found me when I was ten,” she signed. “And he adopted me. When I was twelve, he started training me.”

“Wow. MK’s only had the staff for nearly a year. I can’t imagine how good he would be if he’s been training with the staff for years.” Chandini raised a brow as she paused in clear surprise. Mei noticed. “What?”

“Langur only gave me the staff last year.”

“Wait, really?”

Chandini nodded, starting to walk again. “He said he wanted to make sure I did not kill myself or others before I started swinging it around. Anyway,” They finally stopped in front of the doors. “What do you think is going on inside?”

“- _ AT LEAST I TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY BOYTOYS! _ ”

“ _ OH HOW DARE YOU! _ ”

There was a loud crash behind the door, making both Chandini and Mei wince, followed by several more crashes and loud hooting. “Wanna…go?” Mei said, the younger frantically nodding. They tiptoed away, wincing at every loud crash until they were outside. “So, who were they talking about?”

“Macaque.”

Mei raised a brow. “How do you know?”

“Langur calls Macaque Wukong’s boy toy all the time.”

She sighed. “Well, I can’t argue with that logic. Except, where we find this Macaque guy?” A loud crash sent several monkeys hooting. “Because I don’t think those guys are gonna be much help.”

Chandini considered this before brightening. Without signing, she tugged on Mei’s sleeve, making a gesture. A cloud flew down, landing to float right next to them. “You know where he is?”

She nodded.

“Shouldn’t we wait-”

Chandini gave her a _ are you serious _ expression, gesturing to the ruins. At that moment, there was another almighty crash, followed by a yell that sounded a lot like Wukong. Mei turned back to see the younger girl crawling onto the cloud. When she was settled, she gestured for her to follow.

“Fair enough,” Mei said, clambering on.

The minute the cloud was away, there was silence.

“ _...where are the girls? _ ”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans are made before the weakness is realized.

They ended up in a small courtyard. Red Son had chosen it as the best place since it hadn’t been tended to for a bit and seemed like the safest place so the rest of the complex didn’t get blown up if something got blown up. "Right, so what exactly do you want to learn?" Red said, flipping through the book. (There were so many introduction chapters on theory. Why were there so many introduction chapters on theory?)

"I want to learn how to control the full range of Monkey King's powers so I don't…" MK made a gesture. "You know, get thrown out a window? Again." Red blinked before remembering the Weather Station. (Which had been an embarrassing story for his parents.)

"Makes sense." Red flipped past more pages on theory before he finally found the chapter he was looking for. "Right…Let's begin."

* * *

The dojo was silent as Macaque ran through his katas. His ear flicked at the sound of the back door quietly creaking. He kept going, making sure to keep up a show of not noticing. There were another few quiet creaks, these coming from footsteps.

Macaque exhaled…

And dodged the blow aimed at his head.

He turned on his heel, grinning at the surprised Chandini. “Hey Baby Silver,” he said almost fondly. There was another creak from behind him and he dodged another blow. This one came from MK’s little friend and the sword she held. “Well, this is a surprise. I didn’t think Langur let you out of his-”

Chandini didn’t let him continued, launching at him. Macaque blocked the blow with his foot and grabbed the green girl’s wrist when she launched herself at him. He had intended on slamming them together, but Chandini dodged the blow and pulled away. She slammed herself against the wall and scrambled up it, disappearing into the darkness of the ceiling above. The green girl was dazed, so Macaque seized the moment to generate two clones. He sent them up to find her-

He grunted as a kick sent him tripping. He glanced back to see a blue-tinted clone of Chandini glare at him before the green girl burst through the clone. Unable to do anything else, Macaque raised his wrists in a defensive position, stopping the jade blade from hitting him in the face. Before he could break the block…

Something hit him in the head.

Macaque grunted as he toppled over.

He was unaware of Chandini giving him a cautious poke with her staff. When she was sure he was good and unconscious, she gave Mei a thumbs up. “Great!” Mei said brightly, heading to the hallway they had entered through. She grabbed the magic rope Chandini had grabbed before they left Langur’s temple entirely, giving the mirror Chandini had used to create her clone a fond pat. “Are you sure this rope will work?”

Chandini nodded as she took the rope and quickly bound up Macaque’s wrists, following that by tying him to one of the dojo’s support pillars. When she was done, she signed “Now all we have to do is wait.”

Mei nodded before a thought occurred to her.

“How...are Wukong and Langur gonna realize we’re here?”

Chandini moved to sign...before the realization struck her. They stared at each other before she finally signed. “Langur is smart.”

“Yeah!”

“Yes.”

* * *

Things...weren’t going well in the lesson.

“Well…” Red Son said as he examined the courtyard. When they had entered it this afternoon, it had been slightly dusty with a few weeds overgrowing it. Now, there was a small fire and it looked like an explosion had gone off. Which was why they were using this courtyard, but  _ still _ . “It wasn’t...that bad?”

“Yes it was.”

He sighed. “Yes it was.”

MK sat on the steps that led into the courtyard, hiding his face. “Okay.” he finally said. “I should’ve considered the fact that Monkey King sealed away most of my power before we started this.” Red nodded as he sat next to him. “Right. So, what now?”

“I could...teach you what I know? At least some fire repellent spells.”

“You know those?” MK said, looking up. “Were you planning on making that offer when we started?”

Red shrugged. “The thought occurred to me when we accidentally blew up half of the courtyard. And of course I know those.” He huffed, brushing off his shirt. “Why do you think my mother isn’t scarred from burns?”

MK blinked, thinking it over. “Oh.”

“Yes,  _ oh _ .” Red scooted and turned to be facing his beloved. “Come on.” MK followed his pose, leaving them staring at each other. The fire demon swallowed back the heat that wanted to rush up at those pretty eyes. Instead, he held out a hand. Again, swallowing back the heat as MK placed his hands in his, palms up. “This is the one I can remember off the top of my head.”

“Okay.”

“Breathe in, breath out.” Red demostrated, watching as MK’s eyes slid close as he mirrored his breathing. The two kept up the steady, even pace before he stopped, leaving the younger to it. “Now, I’m going to summon a flame. Just so you’re aware, okay?” MK nodded.

Red mauvered their hands so they were cupped before summoning a small flame. The mortal’s breathing quickened for a moment before MK forced it back to the steady, even pace. “Now, can you feel the heat?”

There was a nod.

“Imagine it spreading out, across your hands.” He watched MK’s hands carefully. “Spread it out.” A golden glow was starting to form across his hands. “There we go… You’re doing great!”

“I am?” MK cracked an eye open. His breathing went off-kilter when he saw the flame before, once again, he forced it back. He stared when the flame was just...there. Red knew he didn’t feel the pain or the overwhelming heat. “Wow.”

“I told you. You’re doing great.” He couldn’t help but be entranced by MK’s happ smile as he stared in awe at the flame.

There was a mumble. “I am.”

After another minute, Red flicked the flame away. MK pulled his hands away when it was gone and he couldn’t help the disappointment that rose up. It disappeared when there was a peck to his cheek. “Thanks Red!” Before he could say a word, MK was already heading inside. “See you at dinner!”

A weak “Bye…” escaped him before he couldn’t help his hair flaming up or him excitedly squealing into his palms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chandini's clones are made from her reflection and look like Macaque's clones, except tinted blue.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tang and Pigsy talk and Red and MK talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've moved profiles! Come say over at starsfic.tumblr.com!

Tang shifted in his seat. The noodle shop had been eerily silent since MK had been kidnapped and that extended to their apartment. Pigsy had closed the delivery part of the noodle shop, reducing business for the time. Mei had just left with Wukong. Yet he already wanted her back home, wanted to make sure at least their other kid was safe.

"So," Pigsy said, breaking the silence. He was chopping vegetables, glaring at nothing. "What do the legends say about demons kidnapping humans?” Tang raised his brow. “C’mon, tell me.”

“I’m not sure if you want to-”

“Tell me.”

Tang adjusted his glasses. “Well, there’s not many legends about marriage but the Monkey King did run into a few during his time serving the Tang Monk. The most memorable was when he was banished by the monk and the rest of the group ran into the Yellow Robe Demon.” He pulled out his book, checking it over. “His wife was a kidnapped princess who had been married to him for thirteen years.”

“And?”

“When the Monkey King rejoined to save his master, he killed their two children to draw the demon out-” He paused when there was a sudden loud grunt. Pigsy threw his knife down, hard enough for the knife to become embedded into the chopping board. “That knife is going to be blunt,” he said, unsure of what else to say.

“I’m going to bed.”

And Tang was left alone in the kitchen.

* * *

Tonight, dinner wasn’t the formal event that it was yesterday. MK had returned to his set-up in the library, scrawling the fire resistance spell down before returning to his studies. There he had stayed for a few hours longer. Dinner was signaled by a knock on a bookcase. “Would you like to eat in here?” Red Son asked when he looked up. He looked shy now. “I can try and help you some more!”

MK blinked in surprise before shrugging. “Sure.”

Red smiled brightly before he turned and left. A few minutes later, he came back with a tray with two dishes of fried rice and Peking duck. There was also a teapot with two cups. He snapped his fingers, shifting some of the books on the coffee table to give him some room. Red settled on the spot. MK followed his lead, taking his bowl and chopsticks with a “Thank you.”

“So...what do you want to learn next?”

“I’m not sure.” In a practiced careful balancing act, MK balanced his bowl on his knee to grab the nearest best-looking book. “Maybe…”

The conversation they settled into was actually the warmest MK had ever experienced with a member of the DBK family. The best fact that MK learned? Besides tech, Red Son was also a huge nerd for the science in magic. They poured over the book and a few others together, scooting closer and closer until their sides were pressed together.

Finally, their bowls were empty and the fire was growing dim.

MK considered the page. “So, how-” He looked up to see Red watching him. One of those full-on longing looks people were given in romance movies. “Uh…What- do you- Oka!” He slammed the book shut, suddenly very aware of the heat in his face, and startling Red. “Ned!”

“What?”

“I mean, bed!” MK looked around. “Bye!”

He scrambled away and got to his feet, power-walking out.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Red reveals a surprise.

A week had passed and MK found himself settling into a routine. He would wake up, get ready, and dress in the plainest outfit he could find in the closet. Meals were with Red Son. And most of the day was either spent studying with Red Son, sparring with Red Son, or exploring the complex. He had a goal: figure out exactly where the fuck he was so he knew where to go once he managed to escape.

Said goal was complicated with one thing.

Red wouldn’t leave him alone.

It wasn’t suffocating, but it was getting annoying due to the fact that he had dragged MK here in the first place. But it was sweet, how he asked what he wanted to do and a lot of the gifts that started appearing in his room were pretty nice. Red also got pretty flustered whenever he thanked him. But it was still annoying how he barely had time to himself.

Like now.

MK was currently looking out his bedroom window, gauging again whether or not a clone could survive that height. (One couldn't, in fact.) A loud noise snapped him out of his thoughts. It sounded like a grunt, paired with something screeching across the floor. Several more followed. Eventually, he followed the noise out of his room, down a few hallways, and into an entryway hallway that he knew led to a pair of locked doors.

Red was in there, pushing a large studio desk down it. "Uh…" MK raised a brow. "What are you doing?" The prince yelped, whirling around.

"MK! What...what are you doing here?!"

“Wondering what you’re doing?"

Red looked around, looking for some kind of excuse, before sighing. "Okay. You were gonna see it anyway. Come help me." MK took the other side of the desk and the two hefted it up and continued down the hallway. Red flicked his hand once he reached the locked doors.

There was a click and the doors opened.

MK stared.

The doors opened into a small courtyard. A dome covered the open ceiling. Due to the fog that curled around the dome, braziers lit the garden space. Besides the beautiful, blossoming plants, there was canvases and open cabinets containing art supplies. The centerpiece was the blooming peach tree that had lovely pink petals drifting down. "What is this?" MK whispered. It was the most beautiful thing his artistic heart had ever seen.

"A studio space." Red admitted, guiding him and the desk to a cleared area and setting it down. "I wasn't really doing anything with this space and I remembered you like art and…"

The beauty of the space stopped at those words. "How do you know that?" MK couldn't remember ever mentioning that to Red. "I never told you?"

The demon's hair sparked. "I...uh, do you like it?" MK nodded. "I knew because...do you promise to not be mad?" He nodded again.

Red headed to one of the cabinets. He pulled out a lacquered box from the top shelf. He looked nervous as he brought it over. Then he opened the lid.

It was his sketchbooks.

His sketchbooks, including the Unofficial Autobiography of the Monkey King, all rested inside the box. MK had looked for hours after Red Son had blown up his apartment. There had been no signs of them and he had assumed that they had been destroyed, much to his grief. But they were all here, with no sign of damage at all. "How did you-?!"

"I kinda stole them."

"... _ What _ ."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wukong and Langur are still missing and Red is forced to realize what all this is to MK.

"Isn't this...weird?"

"What, that there are four immortal monkeys and one of them is currently tied up in the shop?"

Pigsy raised a brow. "No, that the kids are playing poker- yes, I'm talking about the monkey!" Said monkey, still tied up with the magic rope, was sitting at a table. The girls sat on either side of the table, playing poker. Chandini was clearly losing- not just because of lack of skill, but because Macaque kept leaning over to look at her cards and kept making hissing noises whenever she had a bad hand.

Chandini finally snapped, setting down her cards to sign "Quit that."

"Not my fault you keep getting bad hands."

"You are not helping."

"Pass me some cards, I'll show you."

"No! You will cheat!"

"Wha-me?! Cheat! Baby Silver, I can't believe you would accuse me like this…!"

Mei set down her cards as the argument continued and headed to the counter, where the adults were watching. "It's nearly been two weeks since MK's been taken." she said. Pigsy nodded. "Where are they?" Neither Wukong or Langur had shown up since the girls had left Langur's temple. Chandini had claimed Langur always knew where she was, so the fact that they were late baffled her.

A throat cleared

Everyone's heads turned.

It wasn't Wukong. It was some guy, looking worried. "I'm sorry, but are you open?"

Macaque hissed.

The guy yelped. "Never mind!" He ran off and everyone groaned.

Time for more waiting…

Then there was a loud crash. "WE'RE HERE!"

Wukong and Langur had crammed themselves in the doorway. Chandini grinned, hurrying over to pull Langur out. But they brought Wukong with them, creating a pile of monkeys on the floor. "Hi." the Monkey King said, ignoring Tang's excited gasp.

Chandini signed a greeting back to him. Wukong and Langur stood, the latter scooping up his child to place on the floor. "Anyway, we couldn't find Macaque-" A throat clearing stopped Wukong.

Macaque grinned. "Hey Peaches. Silver."

"...never mind."

* * *

"I just- You're really good!" Red was just making excuses. He knew that. MK was staring at his sketchbooks with a look he couldn't recognize. He fiddled with his hands and continued to babble. "This was before I knew I liked you and…"  The box slammed close and he winced.  "Are...are you mad?"

"YES!"

Red flinched. "I...Sorry?" He  _ was _ sorry but the questioning tone came out. "I mean, I-"

MK turned and walked away.

"Noodle Boy?" Red couldn't help but follow him out of the new studio. He was worried. "Please tell me what you're thinking?"

"I think that you're a complete child."

Red came to a stop in surprise. "What?" That was... unexpected. He has been called spoiled before. But being called a complete child was new. "What does that mean?!"

MK whirled around and…

Yeah. Guessing by the snarl on his face and the look in his eyes that made Red feel small, he was angry.

"It means that you dragged me out in the middle of nowhere, ignoring the fact that I gave no consent and that I asked to go home." Okay, fair. "And you expected me to just go along with this idea of courtship where you control everything!"

A denial was already on his lips. "I don't control everything-" There was a sob mid-sentence. Red froze. "Are you crying?"

He was.

Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he curled around the box. "And my family and friends are probably worried sick and I don't know where I am and I just wanna go home except I can't because I’m here and I’m here because you didn't want to ask me on a date like a normal person!" Red moved to try and comfort him, frantic apologies and promises of new gifts pouring out as he tried to hug him. He didn’t mean to upset him, honest!

But MK pulled away and disappeared down the hall.

Leaving Red there.

"...shit."


End file.
